


The Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends BWBA Rewrite Collab

by TTTE_BWBA_MultiCreator_Rewrite



Series: The Thomas And Friends Big World! Big Adventures! and Beyond Rewrite [1]
Category: The Railway Series - W. Awdry, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
Genre: Trains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29153898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TTTE_BWBA_MultiCreator_Rewrite/pseuds/TTTE_BWBA_MultiCreator_Rewrite
Summary: Brought to you by the BWBA Rewrite Collab Discord Server (Join Here: https://discord.gg/DzW5YPPhuE ), The BWBA Rewrite Collab is a rewrite of the TTTE S21 onward.
Series: The Thomas And Friends Big World! Big Adventures! and Beyond Rewrite [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141139
Kudos: 3





	1. Gordon Goes Foreign

Dear friends,  
My name is Gordon, the North Western Railway #4 and guardian of the most important service that the NWR has to offer, the Wild Nor’ Western, or as most of you may know it, the express. I was a very unique design dubbed the LNER A0, a prototype for the GNR A1 pacfics, later rebuilt into the LNER A1s, then the LNER A3s, the latter of which I would receive a rebuild into as well. Over the years, I’ve undergone many other modifications, such as being fitted with the 4-cylinder valve gear that finally allowed me to overcome what you all know as “Gordon’s Hill”. Bit of an inappropriate name if you ask me, but I digress, as this story isn’t about my entire life history, as much as I hate to say so anyway. Rather, this is about a choice made by yours truly, one which would go on to become very influential in a certain little tank engine’s journey around the world, done alongside someone who I would consider a brother, and my actual brother too. With that, I bid you lot adieu, as I am to take another express train in T-minus five minutes, and hope that you’re prepared to partake in this wild ride, this wild “train ride” to be specific.  
With regards,  
The NWR #4, Gordon

BWBA Rewrite: Chapter 1  
Gordon Goes Foreign  
By memesandtreasure  
Written for a community project

Lots of people travel to the two big stations at the end of the mainline, but the first that comes to mind for Sodor’s residents is Vicarstown, the largest Sudrian town on the Eastern side of the island of Sodor. However, this station is not the end of the North Western Railway’s mainline itself, but rather, the end of its Sudric portion, as its actual final stop Barrow-in-Furness, a major complex where the grandest of the NWR’s express passenger services, the Wild Nor’ Wester, terminates. Oftentimes, engines come in from the mainland to Sodor here, heading services terminating at various Sudrian stops. Said engines sometimes stay for the night, and return the next day. It just so happens that on this day, Gordon would be holding a conversation with one of these engines.

“Ah, London. Back then, I was young and wore LNER green. I still remember my days of going there, seeing its big station for myself. Do you know the place? I think the station’s called King’s Cross.”

The other engine, who we’ll be calling the “Big City Engine” for now, looked back, in absolute disbelief at what Gordon had the audacity to say before him.

“King’s Cross!?!?!”, the Big City Engine snorted, “London’s big station is Euston! You must be losing it at your age, old timer.”

“Stuff and Nonsense!”, Duck butted in, “London’s big station is Paddington! I would know after all, as I used to work there.”

The three engines argued all through the day, until they went to sleep, then they argued after having woken up, and then they kept arguing, even after the Big City Engine’s departure.

“Stupid engine. I’ve no patience for youngins who don’t recognize that the name of London’s big station is King’s Cross.”, grumbled Gordon.

“Stupid yourself!”, cried Duck, “London is Paddington! PADDINGTON!”

Gordon was about to make a retort back at Duck, but was promptly interrupted by James, who was backing down onto a rake of coaches.

“Quit it, you two, you’re making me tired, and beginning to ruin what is supposed to be a good day for me. Besides, there is something that you’re both in agreement about.”

Gordon and Duck looked at the red engine, confused as to what he meant. James saw the look in their eyes, and immediately followed up with another answer.

“I meant that you both agree that London isn’t Euston. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be off. I do have a timetable to keep after all.”, the North Western Railway #5 smarmily said, setting off on his own journey for the day.

Duck reluctantly and grumpily returned to his other duties, leaving Gordon all alone. He contemplated on how he could prove himself right, that London’s big station is called King’s Cross. Then, an idea flew into his funnel.

“I got it. If they won’t listen to me, then I’ll have to show them. I’ll journey beyond Barrow, do whatever it takes to prove Duck and that Big City Engine wrong.”, Gordon thought to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next several days, Gordon tried his hardest to be able to go beyond Barrow. He tried to rush past the station, but his driver reacted far too quickly, applying the brakes before Gordon could make any real progress. Another time, he tried to start before the fireman uncoupled him from his coaches, but again, his driver reacted too fast, and he made no real progress. He tried all that he could, but no matter what, he would never be able to make it beyond Barrow. It was only after he saw the Big City Engine depart with his train to take it the rest of his way that he finally gave up.

“Oh, it’s no use. I’ll never get to London at this rate.”

With that, he backed onto a turntable, turned around, and set off back to Knapford to find something else for him to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
1 Week Later:  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gordon had pulled into Barrow-in-Furness with the express. Having long since given up hope on ever reaching London, he waited for his fireman to uncouple him from his coaches, then ran off into a siding to wait for another engine to pick up his train and take it the rest of the way. He’d wait and wait, but oddly enough, the engine never came. It was only a few minutes later that an explanation came.

“Oh dear, oh dear!”, yelled the stationmaster to no one in particular.

“What is it?”, asked Gordon’s fireman.

“The engine meant to take this train broke down! Now he’s stuck on the turntable, and nobody else can fill in!”

Just then, an idea flies into Gordon’s smokebox. He finally had the opportunity to see London, and you know what he did? He capitalized on said opportunity.

“Let me take it.”

“What?”, the stationmaster asked, shocked by Gordon’s sudden outburst.

“I said, ‘Let me take it’. There’s no one else in the area, and if I don’t take this train, the passengers will be late.”

The stationmaster saw no other option.

“Alright, fine.”

With that, Gordon gleefully rolled over the points, and backed down onto the train. It only took about a few minutes for the guard to finally blows his whistle, but for the NWR #4, it felt like it took ages.

“Come on, come on, we can’t be late. Come on, come on, we can’t be late.”, he sang to no one in particular.

He kept repeating that mantra to himself, as he began at a snail’s pace. Then, slowly but surely, he kept picking up more and more speed, until… HE WAS OFF! Gordon was absolutely ecstatic as he went about his journey, not giving a care about anything but the wind in his face and the pumping of his pistons. Granted, the journey to London was a lot longer than he had expected, but no matter, as the long run gave him the perfect opportunity to finally stretch his wheels.

“Oh, This Is Quite Grand! Fitting For A Proper Express Engine Like Me!”, he yelled into the air.

With that being said, he was still glad to finally be able to rest his aching pistons and cylinders when he had finally made it to London’s big station. The next morning, the Fat Controller chose to sit in his office to contemplate events over the past couple of weeks. On the one hand, the publicity would most certainly be of great help to the NWR’s passenger traffic, but on the other hand, he knows of Gordon’s previous escapades, albeit only because the Barrow-in-Furness station master chose to notify him of such details. He was still in deep contemplation, when his assistant kicked open the door, sweaty and out of breath.

“Sir! You Must See This! It’s About Gordon!”

The assistant slammed a newspaper onto the table, desperately trying to catch his breath. Sir Topham Hatt took a hard look over it, and found that it was Gordon on the frontpage. The title read “Famous Sudrian Engine At London Station: Police Called To Control Crowds Of Railway Series Fans and Rail Enthusiasts Alike”. Sir Topham Hatt was in disbelief, as he didn’t know that the NWR had this much of a presence overseas. Granted, Gordon is an A0, a prototype for one of the most famous locomotive classes to have ever existed, and the RWS is beloved by children all over the world, but still.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Next Day  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Gordon had finally returned from London, alongside his driver and fireman.

“So, you two. How was London?”

“Oh, quite nice, Sir. We signed autographs until our arms couldn’t take it, answered questions until our voices gave out, and took photos until our eyes began to hurt and we couldn’t smile anymore. Gordon even had so many photographs taken of him from all sorts of angles, he didn’t even see where they were coming from.”

“Ah, that’s quite nice. I trust that you enjoyed your time in London as well, Gordon?”

“Well, the attention I got was quite nice, but London itself is all wrong.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, London’s big station isn’t called King’s Cross, Euston, or even Paddington. It’s- It’s- It’s St. Pancras!”

Sir Topham was taken aback by how hurt Gordon was over the supposed name change.

“Oh. Well, at least you got to see London, right?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

“Good. Now that that’s settled, time to talk about your punishment.”

Now it was Gordon’s turn to be taken aback.

“P-P-Punishment?”

“Yes. Gordon, I know about all of your previous escapades. You know, if you had asked me, I’d have been perfectly fine with trying to make arrangements to get you to take a special train to London. That being said, since you didn’t ask for permission, that means you’re gonna have to make up for your disobedience in one way or another. I’m thinking… slow goods work.”

“B-but Sir, who will-

“Either Henry, James, or even that new 9F of ours, Murdoch, will take the job in your stead. Now if you will excuse me, I will be on my lunch break. Goodbye for now, Gordon.”

With that, the Fat Controller walked away, leaving Gordon to feel very ashamed of himself.

“Oh, by the way, Gordon?”, Sir Topham called out.

“Hm?”

“London has multiple stations: King’s Cross, Paddington, Euston, and the one you went to, St. Pancras. Just felt like you had to know.”

Gordon was shocked, as he did not know that London had so many big stations. That shock then turned to frustration, as he hadn’t been able to fully get what he wanted.

“Doh, why does everything that I want to do have to go horribly wrong?!”

His driver and fireman laughed, but poor Gordon was still very angry over not getting to see King’s Cross for himself. Then again, I think that’s an appropriate form of Karma, don’t you?

*Insert The 80s TTTE Theme, set to a montage of the NWR doing its Thing*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Epilogue: 2 Weeks Later  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gordon’s younger brother, Flying Scotsman, had hauled the heaviest express service he could handle, and was taking a nice long rest for the night. Then, his driver came with something.

“Oi, Scottie, take a look at this.”

It was a letter, addressed to none other than him.

“Oh? Who sent it?”

“A Sudrian engine named Gordon.”

“You mean my older brother? Quite interesting. He’s never sent them before, so why the change?”

“I do- wait, I thought he was your little brother.”

“No, that’s merely a joke from some good ol’ Gresley style banter. Now, what does it say?”

Scotsman’s driver explained everything stated in the letter in great detail, causing Scot to slowly adopt a look of shock on his face.

“My brother, going to London. Interesting, very interesting.”

“Yeah. You want to respond?”

Just then, an idea popped into Scotsman’s head, slowly causing a grin to manifest on his face.

“Yeah. Here’s what I’d like for you to write.”

Scotsman carefully and quietly whispered the exact details of what he wanted to write in his letter to Gordon, causing the driver to have a go at having a shocked look on his face himself. For now though, said letter’s contents will have to stay on the down low, as I can’t have the story be spoiled, now can I?


	2. Gresley's Finest: Design and Beginnings

Dear friends,  
Gordon here, for a different reason. You see, the authors pitied me for being unable to tell my story, so they have decided to allow me to do so, starting here. I’m also obligated to tell you that the format for these types of chapters will be a bit different, as instead of it being a retelling of various events based on different accounts, with an outside force being the one to narrate over said events, this will be the beginning of my best recollection of my life until this point.  
With regards,  
The NWR #4, Gordon

BWBA Rewrite: Chapter 2.5

Gresley’s Finest: Design and Beginnings

By memesandtreasure

Written for a community project

My life began in 1922, when Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley was the CME (Chief Mechanical  
Engineer) of the GNR, and had to come up with a design to take over duties heading mainline  
express services, as Sir Henry Ivatt’s creations, the Large Boilered C1s, were reaching their  
limits. So, I was built as a proof of concept; my flaws kept me hush-hush, so I never went into  
regular service or received a proper GNR number. That being said, I would still be given a class  
name; “The A0” is what my designation would be, imbued upon me by none other than my  
designer, Sir Nigel Gresley himself.  
The relationship between my creators and I was alright: they took pride in their eventual  
success with me, I was grateful to them for bringing me life, and we were all distant and cold,  
but otherwise polite with each other. All in all, life went quite well, at least until I was deemed  
surplus with the manufacturing of standard production A1s. Luckily, one Bertram Topham Hatt  
of “The North Western Railway” needed an engine to head their express services, and called Sir  
Nigel Gresley. Coming to an agreement, he sold me for my weight in scrap metal with a spare  
boiler and firebox, and while I was hurt, it didn’t matter, as I had been saved from an early  
scrapping. A week later, I immediately set off with my crew, unsure of what was to come.  
From there, you can figure out what happened, and even though those memories aren’t the  
fondest, they’ve certainly helped to humble me into the wiser engine that I am today. That being  
said, I’m sure all who read this are more than familiar enough with those other stories of mine,  
so I’ll get to something juicier. You see, the Thin Clergyman accurately detailed my history, but  
not my appearance or class designation, as I’ve undergone two rebuilds throughout my whole  
working career; the second was so extensive, I was practically a new class of locomotive  
altogether. Now, while I would go into detail about it, I’ve an express service to pull in a few  
minutes, so the authors have chosen to provide a document detailing my condition upon arrival,  
my two rebuilds, and the upgrades that came with each. Enjoy.  
______________________________________________________________________  
NWR #4 (Gordon) Design and Rebuild Documents: Phase 1 (Pre-Crewe)  
Circa May 15, 1923  
Build Condition:  
● Wheel arrangement: Whyte (4-6-2); UIC (2’C1 h3)  
● Gauge: 4 feet, 8.5 inches/1,435 mm (standard)  
● Leading wheel diameter: 3 feet, 2 inches/0.965 meters  
● Driving wheel diameter: 6 feet, 8 inches/2.032 meters  
● Trailing wheel diameter: 3 feet, 8 inches/1.118 meters  
● Overall length: 70 feet, 5 inches/21.46 meters  
○ Wheelbase length: 60 feet, 10.6 inches/18.56 meters  
● Height: 13 feet/3.96 meters; cut back from 13 feet, 9 inches (4.19 meters) before arrival  
● Axle load: 20 long tons/20.3 metric tons/24.7 short tons  
● Adhesive weight: 60 long tons/61.0 metric tons/67.2 short tons  
● Locomotive weight: 91.35 long tons/92.82 metric tons 102.31 short tons  
● Fuel type: coal  
● Tender schematics:  
○ GNR Eight-Wheeler:  
■ Water capacity: 5000 imperial gallons/23,000 liters/6,000 US gallons  
■ Coal capacity: 8 long tons/8.13 metric tons/8.96 short tons  
■ Empty Weight: Approximately 24.72 long tons/25.12 metric tons/ 27.69  
short tons/  
■ Wheel diameter: 4 feet, 2 inches/1.27 meters  
● Firebox:  
○ Firegrate area: 41.25 square feet  
● Boiler Pressure: 180 PSI/1.24 MPa  
● Heating surface:  
○ Tubes: 1880 square feet/175 square meters  
○ Flues: 835 square feet/77.6 square meters  
○ Firebox: 215 square feet/20 square meters  
● Superheater: 525 square feet/77.6 square meters  
● Cylinders: three  
○ Dimensions: 20 inches by 26 inches  
● Valve gear:  
○ Outside: Walschaerts  
○ Inside: Gresley Conjugated  
● Valve type: piston valves  
Notes: Engine is very temperamental, and seems to be particularly hurt when manner of  
acquisition is brought up. Make sure to avoid this topic, but don’t listen to him too much,  
lest his ego gets too inflated. Experience will most certainly humble him, but make sure  
to be kind about addressing said experiences.  
______________________________________________________________________  
Phase 2: Crewe Rebuild (Circa 1939)  
Post-Rebuild Condition:  
● Wheel arrangement: Whyte (4-6-2)/UIC (2’C1 h3)  
● Gauge: 4 feet, 8.5 inches/1,435 mm (standard)  
● Leading wheel diameter: 3 feet, 2 inches/0.965 meters  
● Driving wheel diameter: 6 feet, 9 inches/2.0574 meters; diameter increased by 1 inch  
● Trailing wheel diameter: 3 feet, 9 inches/1.473 meters; diameter increased by 1 inch  
● Overall length: 73 feet, 10.25 inches/22.511 meters; length increased by 3 feet, 5.25  
inches  
○ Wheelbase length: 62 feet, 11 inches/19.177 meters; length increased by 2 feet,  
0.04 inches  
● Height: 13 feet, 1 inch/3.9878 meters; height increased by 1 inch thanks to wheel  
diameter increasing in size  
● Axle load: 21.25 long tons/21.59 metric tons/23.8 short tons  
● Adhesive weight: 63.75 long tons/64.77 metric tons/71.4 short tons  
● Locomotive weight: 100.37 long tons/101.98 metric tons/112.41 short tons  
● Fuel type: coal  
● Tender schematics:  
○ GNR Eight-Wheeler:  
■ Water capacity: 5000 imperial gallons/23,000 liters/6,000 US gallons  
■ Coal capacity: 8 long tons/8.13 metric tons/8.96 short tons  
■ Empty Weight: Approximately 24.72 long tons/25.12 metric tons/ 27.69  
short tons  
■ Wheel diameter: 4 feet, 2 inches/1.27 meters  
● Firebox:  
○ Firegrate area: 41.25 square feet  
● Boiler Pressure: 250 PSI/1.72 MPa; increased from original 180  
● Heating surface:  
○ Tubes: 1880 square feet/175 square meters  
○ Flues: 835 square feet/77.6 square meters  
○ Firebox: 215 square feet/20 square meters  
● Superheater: 525 square feet/77.6 square meters  
● Cylinders: four; two outside; two inside  
○ Dimensions: 20 inches by 28 inches  
● Valve gear:  
○ Outside: Walschaerts  
○ Inside: Rocking shafts  
● Valve type: piston valves  
Notes:  
● Rebuild occurs when Gordon’s Conjugated valve gear becomes too troublesome  
for workers to handle.  
● Shape stays the same until after World War 2, making trains safer, smoother, and  
easier to haul, even with “Gordon’s Hill” taken into account.  
● Mods include:  
○ Boiler pressure being increased to 250 pounds per square inch  
○ a four-cylinder Coronation-(Princess Royal) hybrid chassis modified by Sir  
Topham Hatt to use 20 inch by 28 inch cylinders  
○ driving and trailing wheel diameters being increased by one inch  
○ a smoother running plate to fit the cylinders, and  
○ new valve gear for inside cylinders.  
Everything above the running plate is Gresley, parts below are Stanier, the running plate  
itself is Stanier-Hatt.  
______________________________________________________________________  
Phase 3: Peppercorn-Bulleid Rebuild (May 15, 1946-1951)  
Post-Rebuild Condition:  
● Wheel arrangement: Whyte (4-6-2)/UIC (2’C1 h3)  
● Gauge: 4 feet, 8.5 inches/1,435 mm (standard)  
● Leading wheel diameter: 3 feet, 2 inches/0.965 meters  
● Driving wheel diameter: 6 feet, 9 inches/2.0574 meters  
● Trailing wheel diameter: 3 feet, 9 inches/1.473 meters  
● Overall length: 73 feet, 10.25 inches/22.511 meters  
○ Wheelbase length: 62 feet, 11 inches/19.177 meters  
● Height: 13 feet, 1 inch/3.9878 meters  
● Axle load: 21.68 long tons/22.02 metric tons/24.28 short tons  
● Adhesive weight: 65.15 long tons/66.2 metric tons/72.97 short tons  
● Locomotive weight: 100.4 long tons/102.01 metric tons/112.45 short tons)  
● Fuel type: coal  
● Tender schematics:  
○ LNER Non-Corridor Eight-Wheeler; Coal rail variant replacing original GNR  
Eight-Wheeler:  
■ Water capacity: 5000 imperial gallons (23,000 liters; 6,000 US gallons)  
■ Coal capacity: 9 long tons/9.14 metric tons/10.08 short tons  
■ Empty Weight: Approximately 27.54 long tons/27.98 metric tons/30.84  
short tons  
■ Wheel diameter: 4 feet, 2 inches/1.27 meters  
● Firebox:  
○ Firegrate area: 50.0 square feet  
● Boiler Pressure: 280 PSI/1.93 MPa (increased from original 250)  
● Heating surface:  
○ Tubes: 1880 square feet (175 square meters)  
○ Flues: 835 square feet (77.6 square meters)  
○ Firebox: 245.3 square feet (20 square meters)  
● Superheater: 525 square feet (77.6 square meters)  
● Cylinders: four  
○ Dimensions: 20 inches by 28 inches  
● Valve gear:  
○ Outside: Walschaerts  
○ Inside: Rocking shafts  
● Valve type: piston valves  
Notes:  
● Project began after World War 2 due to chaos and budget restrictions from 1939 to  
1945.  
● Stems from Gresley’s wish to turn Gordon into the ultimate British Pacific; headed  
by Arthur Henry Peppercorn and Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid  
● Both incorporate features found in their Pacific designs into that of Gordon’s.  
● Project is Peppercorn’s last hurrah at engineering before he retires.  
● Peppercorn contributions:  
○ LNER Non-Corridor Eight-Wheeler (increases coal capacity for future runs)  
○ Self Cleaning Smokebox (added to make cleaning out smoke box easier)  
○ Smoke Deflectors (crews see more easily despite large quantities of steam)  
● Bulleid exclusive contributions:  
○ Boiler Pressure increased to 280 Pounds Per Square Inch  
○ Bulleid Firth Browns replace spoked design; applies to tender/engine; uses  
old dimensions; carries tyre more effectively; design results in a more even  
weight distribution, reducing hammerblow and damage to trackage.  
○ Fitted spun glass mattresses for boiler lagging.  
○ Two welded steel thermic siphons are implemented to improve water  
circulation around the firebox.  
○ Gauges lit by UV light; BP (Boiler Pressure) and BPV (Brake Pipe Vacuum)  
gauges now easier to read on night runs; eliminates dazzle, makes signals  
easier to spot during night runs too  
○ Cab redesigned: controls grouped to crew’s needs for safer operations;  
steam-operated treadle fitted for aiding the fireman, using steam pressure  
to open firehole doors; footplate enclosed entirely to improve winter  
working conditions  
● Gresley-Bulleid contributions:  
○ All welded steel firebox; same dimensions as Peppercorn A1s; lighter and  
cheaper; has longer life than normal riveted copper types, due to a higher  
melting point; materials provided by Bulleid, dimension references  
provided by Peppercorn, firebox designed by both.  
■ Dimensions applied to increase Gordon’s power and endurance.  
○ Double blast pipe and chimney; blast pipe itself is a hybrid of the Kylchap  
and Lemaître designs; designed to improve draughting.  
● Self Cleaning Smokebox is an experimental Swiss design, and has a finer mesh to  
capture smaller coal particles and make cleaning out his smokebox less of a pain,  
as well as an air scrubber to remove pollutants from steam exhausted out of the  
funnel.  
______________________________________________________________________  
Phase 4: NWR Rebuild (May 15, 1951-1955)  
Post Rebuild Condition:  
● Wheel arrangement: Whyte (4-6-2)/UIC (2’C1 h3)  
● Gauge: 4 feet, 8.5 inches/1,435 mm (standard)  
● Leading wheel diameter: 3 feet, 2 inches/0.965 meters  
● Driving wheel diameter: 6 feet, 9 inches/2.0574 meters  
● Trailing wheel diameter: 3 feet, 9 inches/1.473 meters  
● Overall length: 73 feet, 10.25 inches/22.511 meters  
○ Wheelbase length: 62 feet, 11 inches/19.177 meters  
● Height: 13 feet, 1 inch/3.9878 meters  
● Axle load: 21.68 long tons/22.02 metric tons/24.28 short tons  
● Adhesive weight: 65.15 long tons/66.2 metric tons/72.97 short tons  
● Locomotive weight: 100.4 long tons/102.01 metric tons/112.45 short tons)  
● Fuel type: coal  
● Tender schematics:  
○ LNER Non-Corridor Eight-Wheeler; Coal rail variant replacing original GNR  
Eight-Wheeler:  
■ Water capacity: 5000 imperial gallons (23,000 liters; 6,000 US gallons)  
■ Coal capacity: 9 long tons/9.14 metric tons/10.08 short tons  
■ Empty Weight: Approximately 27.54 long tons/27.98 metric tons/30.84  
short tons  
■ Wheel diameter: 4 feet, 2 inches/1.27 meters  
● Firebox:  
○ Firegrate area: 50.0 square feet  
● Boiler Pressure: 280 PSI/1.93 MPa (increased from original 250)  
● Heating surface:  
○ Tubes: 1880 square feet (175 square meters)  
○ Flues: 835 square feet (77.6 square meters)  
○ Firebox: 245.3 square feet (20 square meters)  
● Superheater: 525 square feet (77.6 square meters)  
● Cylinders: four (two outside; two inside)  
○ Dimensions: 20 inches by 28 inches  
● Valve gear:  
○ Outside: Modified British Caprotti  
○ Inside: Modified British Caprotti  
● Valve type: Poppet valves  
Notes:  
● Certain contributions made by Robert Arthur Riddles.  
● Gordon is used as reference for BR Pacifics, serving as one of their biggest  
influences.  
● Only two notable mods are made by Riddles during this time.  
○ Mods are as follows (In order of significance):  
■ British Caprotti Valve Gear; viability testing; success found in  
Gordon and BR Standard Class 5s, not “Duke of Gloucester”, the  
only member of the BR Standard Class 8s; faults found to be due to  
build botching; don’t joke of it in front of Henry.  
■ Streamlined cab; general usage; successful, incorporated in all BR  
Standards; Gordon’s crew happiest they’ve ever been operating him.  
● NWR carries out the majority of Gordon’s rebuild because of the following:  
○ Modernization  
○ Riddles’ retirement  
○ BR standard development taking up the time before his retirement  
○ The plan to limit the British Transport Committee’s funding  
● Gordon rechristened “Sudrian G4” after the rebuild's completion.  
● NWR mods as follows:  
○ Boiler pressure increased to 300 pounds per square inch  
○ Superheater elements increased to total quantity of 40  
○ Roller bearings fitted to make high speeds a bit smoother and more  
sustainable for his crew  
○ Motion changed to draw on American practice, becoming lightweight & well  
balanced for further contribution to making high speeds a bit smoother and  
more sustainable for his crew as well.  
○ Firebox fitted with a Gas Producer Combustion System for Gordon to burn  
coal more efficiently.  
○ Double Lempor exhaust system also fitted to maximize the efficiency of the  
aforementioned Gas Producer Combustion System.  
____________________________________________________________________________  
Performance figures:  
● 1923 Build Acquisition:  
○ Speed: 100 miles per hour  
○ Tractive effort: 29,835 lbf  
● 1939 Crewe Rebuild:  
○ Speed: 114 miles per hour  
○ Tractive effort: 40,430 lbf  
Notes:  
● Figures stay the same after the 1939 Crewe rebuild.  
__________________________________________________________________________


	3. The Great Railway Show: Part 1 of 3

Dear readers,  
I am the Flying Scotsman, GNR NO. 1472, LNER NO. 4472, 502 & 103, BR NO. 60103, and the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 miles per hour. You may notice this next story’s events occur rather abruptly, and you are right, as Gordon forgot to properly explain when his trip to London took place. You see, said trip took place in 1956, when steam was still in regular use, and a time where, for most of us, things made sense, as with the advent of dieselization, perfectly fine steamers were being withdrawn and cut up for scrap left and right; Gordon survived because of “The Railway Series”, and I survived because of my records. Alas, I’m afraid the rest of our Gresley brethren wouldn't make it, as all were withdrawn and put under the cutter’s torch; Gordon and I miss them dearly, and to this day, it still pains me that they couldn’t be here. That being said, even with dieselization, the love of steam is still well and alive, which is where this story comes in. I best not say anything as of yet however, as that would be too much of a spoiler for events to come, but I’ll just say that this story takes place in 1966. Now, I bid you all farewell, and a good night, as it’s about 10:00 PM where I’m at.  
Yours truly,  
The Flying Scotsman.  
P.S.  
Don’t tell Gordon this, but out of all our brethren, I looked up to him most of all.

BWBA Rewrite: Chapter 2  
The Great Railway Show  
By memesandtreasure  
Written for a community project  
The year is 1966, and things are looking grim for Britain’s steamers; more diesels are being made by the day, forcing Britain’s steam-powered iron horses to face extinction. Luckily, the love for steam still burns bright, as Sir Topham Hatt would recognize as of today. He was just in his office, snacking down on some delicious egg-bacon-cheese croissant sandwiches cooked up by his wife, when once again, his assistant kicked in the door to his office, causing him to spill the bottle of homemade chili sauce made by his wife using his mother’s recipe.

“Dah! Johnson, You Better Have A Good Reason To-

“Oh, But I Do Sir! Take A Look At This!”

He threw a letter onto the office table. It read as follows:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Dear Sir Charles Topham Hatt,  
I am Sir Jerry Harington Steele; as you may know, steam faces extinction, but love for it hasn’t faded away, not yet anyway. That is why we contacted you, hoping you could send over engines shown in the Railway Series to participate, which would greatly bolster the popularity of this event, this “Great Railway Show”. Said event will be a festival of steam engines showing off their speed, strength, and shunting capabilities, also doubling as an event to get people to buy and preserve these engines. We urge you to take this proposition into consideration, as many locomotives depend on this event for their survival.  
With great respect,  
The World’s Steam Preservation Societies  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The letter was a massive surprise for the Fat Controller. Sure, he knew that there were steam engine preservation societies all throughout the world, but he didn’t think that they were willing to go to such great lengths to ensure steam’s survival. It was a very interesting proposition, however, one he spent countless hours contemplating, eventually coming to the conclusion to partake upon calling every steam preservationist he knew. Now, he just had to decide on who to choose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
1 week later  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The NWR’s entire locomotive roster was gathered at Tidmouth sheds, unsure of why so many were gathered in the first place.

“You think Sir Topham’s got a special train for one of us to pull?”, inquired Henry.

“Mibbie. Either that, or yin o' us haes messed up pure ill.”, replied Donald.

“Nah, I think we’ve all done more than well over the past few weeks, so I think it’s most likely a special train.”, Edward remarked.

“Well, if it is a special goods train, then you can leave that to Murdoch. That being said, if it’s a passenger run, then that’s an entirely different story in and of itself.”

The engines kept the discussion going, only for it to become something more heated, and then snowballing into a full-blown argument. Something about goods being more important than passengers, or passengers being more important than goods I believe. Said argument had only died down when the fat controller arrived on the scene, the engines being oblivious to their boss’ presence.

“SILENCE!”, the Fat Controller yelled.

The engines were shocked into silence, only just now realizing that the Fat Controller was in the area. With that, they immediately ceased all semblances of an argument and put on their best behaviour.

“Now, you’re all probably wondering why I gathered you here. Well, let me tell you something: it isn’t because any of you had accidents. In fact, we’ve had no accidents in years.”

The engines perked up, interested in what the Fat Controller had to say.

“Then again, it isn’t a special train either.”

Then their interest promptly fell.

“Rather, it’s a special event. Say, do any of you remember when the so-called ‘Famous 8’ of you lot had all travelled to England’s capital?”

Now, the Fat Controller really did have their attention.

“Yes sir. The journey was quite nice, but staying on static display got quite boring. Will this new special event be anything like that?”

“Well, in a way, as you will get to show yourselves off to the public. With that being said, you won’t be getting bored with this ‘Great Railway Show’ either, as this time, you’ll be allowed to stretch out your wheels this time around.”

The engines were puzzled, now completely and utterly baffled about what Sir Topham Hatt had in store for them.

“With all due respect, Sir, what do you mean by us being ‘allowed to stretch out your wheels this time around.’?”, inquired Duck.

“What I mean, Duck, is that with participation, you, the engines, can show what the North Western Railway, no, what steam is truly capable of. You can show why you deserve to be called the best decorated,”

First Emily’s eyes lit up.

“strongest,” 

Next, it was Murdoch and Henry’s turn to do the same.

“fastest,” 

Gordon and James’ excitement rose to their absolute limits at the utterance of that last phrase

“or even the most skilled shunter.” 

Percy, Thomas, Duck, and Toby’s eyes sparkled, their boilers bursting with anticipation.

“However, above all of that, you engines will finally be able to show the world what I see in you.”

That last sentence helped everything to finally click into place for the engines. Then, no less than utter chaos went on to assault the Fat Controller’s ears and eyes.

“Ooh, pick me, sir! I’m The Most Splendid Engine On The Island!”, cried James.

“Nonsense, James! I’m Obviously The Better Candidate!”

“There is a reason why I’m Sodor’s chief express engine, Sir.”

“And a reason why I’m the new chief heavy goods engine.”

“Oh, you may be younger and more modern, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best. Just take a look at BoCo’s class, no offence.”

He looked over at the Metro-Vick type 2, waiting for a response.

“Some taken, but I can agree. Then again, being as ancient as you are, square wheels, you really shouldn’t be talking.”

“Why you little-”

“That’s Enough!”, Sir Topham Hatt boomed once again.

The engines were very quick to shut up after the Fat Controller’s outburst, not wanting to face another so soon.

“Now, the event will be taking place in the middle of summer, when tourism hits its peak. Over this period, all of you will be receiving modifications, rebuilds, or new paint jobs in accordance with the category you shall be competing in. I expect a clear and sure answer from all of you within the next 10 days. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.”, they all accidentally said in perfect unison, unsettling the fat controller.

“Good. Now, have a good night's rest, and think hard on what, where, and how you want to represent yourselves for later.”

With that, the Fat Controller walked away, into his car, and drove back home, prepared to place the orders for the new locomotive parts as necessary, leaving the engines with a lot to think about for the next week or so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
10 days later  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The engines were hard at work, their boilers bursting with excitement. Gordon pulled the Wild Nor’ Wester perfectly, Murdoch hauled heavy goods trains with ease, and Thomas ran his branch line as efficiently as he could. Still, the prospect of a competition weighed heavily on their minds, and while all had decided on the event they wanted to participate in, all still felt their boilers on the verge of rupturing in anticipation over Sir Topham’s views on the matter. Luckily, it just so happened that day had come.

The engines had once again gathered at Tidmouth, staying on their best behaviour, even though Sir Topham Hatt had not arrived yet. Said demeanour only became even more pronounced with the Fat Controller’s arrival.

“Once again, good evening to you all. Now, I have good and bad news. The good news is that you will all be able to come to London, and show off your best qualities.”

The engines cheered and whistled as loudly as they could, only to then realize that the fat hadn’t given the bad news yet, immediately putting them on edge once again.

“The bad news is that there are to be preliminaries before the main events, 

The engines fell silent.

“What’s a preliminary, sir?”, asked Thomas.

“A preliminary, Edward, is the opening act to a competition, this one’s purpose being to reduce competitors down to manageable numbers; each group is allowed an unlimited quantity of candidates to represent them for each of the opening acts, but only two are allowed for each of the main events. So, you all have to compete with each other for a spot. That being said, my promise to you will still be fulfilled, as the opening day is said to be almost as grand as the main event.”

The engines breathed a sigh of relief, taking comfort in the fact that the news wasn’t as bad as they thought. Then, the mood became tense, as they suddenly had even more competition. Some glared daggers colder than ice at each other, others wished each other good luck for what was to come; some got into a bit of friendly pre-competition banter, while the rest paid no heed to them for reasons of their own. It took the Fat Controller clearing his throat to snap them back to reality, where they promptly put on their best behaviour.

“Now, as previously mentioned 10 days ago, engines who have chosen to compete are to receive modifications, rebuilds, and repaints according to the categories they have chosen to compete in; upgrades shouldn’t take too much time, but just in case, you’re all to fill in for those holed up at the works if they take longer than expected. Do I make myself clear?”

Giving their own forms of confirmation, the engines left Sir Topham Hatt pleased with their responses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the course of the next few months, workers manufactured the highest quality engine parts for the NWR’s fleet of steam locomotives, mostly four-cylinder valve gear to increase power and speed in the big engines. That was really it for the practical upgrades, however, as with how quickly the works manufactured these parts, the rest of the time needed to be spent deciding on the paintwork that the engines would represent their railway in. Once that was out of the way, the engines gathered at Knapford, waiting for the Fat Controller’s orders. He came over a few minutes later, having just finished a steak dinner cooked up by his wife, Lady Hatt.

“Ah, good morning to you all.”

The engines replied back with their own formal greetings. (or, the most formal that they could muster)

“Alright then. Now, I’ve made the arrangements with all of our clients, and they said that they’d be fine without our services for a few days, so long as we advertise their services at the Great Railway Show. As for how we get to London, it’s simple; a passenger train for human Sudrians coming as well shall be headed by all of you; coal cars, and tankers of water and diesel fuel are coupled up to the back of the rake if some of you run out of fuel sooner than the others. Are there any objections to this arrangement?”

The engines all whistled and blasted their horns in agreement.

“Okay then. As soon as my family and I enter the train, we shall set off. Hope you’re all ready!”

10 minutes later, after getting their last-minute needs sorted out, the Hatt family entered one of the coaches. Doors banged shut, the guard's whistle blew, and the longest train the island had ever seen set off. The engines’ own whistles and horns sounded off, ready to show the world just what Sudrians are capable of. The run itself was quite nice, although much longer than what most the engines were used to; passerbys stopped to take photos of the most famous locomotive fleet the world has ever known, or watch them fly by on the rails, particularly Thomas. That only served to further inflate the little tank engine’s ego especially, especially in comparison to the others, sans the likes of Edward and BoCo, who took it all in stride.

It took quite a while, but the North Western Railway’s fleet of engines were able to make it to the venue before the midday sun rose, right on time I might add, and oh boy, did they marvel at the sites. Crowds of people, the largest any of them ever saw, gathered under the midday sun. Some sat around, admiring the hustle and bustle, others talked with their loved ones, and more still were hard at work, preparing for what was to come tomorrow. What really caught the attention of the engines, however, was what the people were taking pictures of: steam engines, all of them standard gauge and from around the world. 

Some were the smallest tank engines anyone had ever seen, apart from the likes of Percy of course. They, like the Sudrians, had donned immaculate, detailed patterns and liveries, and were most likely either shunter contenders, or future participants of the Best-Decorated Engine Parade. Others were absolutely ginormous, radiating nothing less than absolute strength, and some looked like they were built for speed. However, one engine that had also seemed to be just arriving caught the eye of a certain blue #4 most of all.

“Hello, Scottie.”, Gordon said smugly

The engine in question pulled up to the NWR #4’s right. Said engine was like Gordon, an LNER A3, but more in line with the production models, whereas Gordon looked like one that embodied the best of all of Britain’s Pacific locomotives to have ever been built. This engine was also painted LNER apple green, whereas Gordon wears a dark North-Western blue; “4472” was painted on his bufferbeam, “60103” was painted on the left of his cab, and “1472” painted on its right. Most striking of all were his two corridor tenders, the same exact model coupled up to Gordon as a matter of fact. One carried coal, and wore the BR Coat of Arms on its left and the phrase “LNER” on its right, and the other carried water, “502” painted on its right and “103” on its left. Finally, this engine wore a headboard that shined like the sun, and twin German-style smoke deflectors too, the latter being fitted with nameplates, both of them reading “The Flying Scotsman”.

“Och mah. It's him, isn’t it Gordon?”, inquired Douglas.

“Yes, Douglas, this is him. My little brother, the Flying Scotsman.”

The two Gresley built steam locomotives stared at each other with an intense mixture of both joy and competitiveness, the likes of which had never been seen before, even from the likes of Gordon of all people. What happens next, I shan’t tell, as that would ruin the surprise. Tata for now.

*Insert Gordon theme by UpsideNow, set to a montage of Gordon and Gordon moments*


	4. The Great Railway Show: Part 2 of 3

Hello,  
I’m Sir Charles Topham Hatt II, but you may know me to be the Fat Controller, of which I’ve been so for 12 years so far. It’s been interesting, to say the least; the world has changed drastically ever since my father retired, but despite that, one thing remains constant: the engines; Hard workers, practically part of the Hatt family, always there through thick and thin. Without them, Sodor wouldn’t be the same. So, after verifying that the invite to the Great Railway Show was real, and a good amount of contemplation, I decided to repay them by giving them the chance to show the world what I’ve seen in them for so long. As a bonus, they get to meet engines from across the globe, who’ve probably gone on their own adventures too. I’d love to say more, but that would spoil the story ahead. Besides, Lady Hatt just finished the dinner we’re going to be having with the family for tonight, and I dare not to miss out on it. I believe it’s crispy potatoes topped with a savoury meat sauce and cheese. Goodbye for now.  
Best regards,  
Sir Charles Topham Hatt II (The Fat Controller)

BWBA Rewrite: Chapter 2  
The Great Railway Show  
By memesandtreasure  
Written for a community project

Gordon and the Flying Scotsman stared at each other for what felt like eons to everyone else, but was actually about 15 seconds. The others worried what would come next, and reeled back in shock as the two burst into a fit of laughter. It took a bit to calm down, but they immediately engaged in some light verbal sparring afterward.

“Oh, Gordon. Still as fat as ever, I see?”

“I may be fat, but at least I’m not a water guzzler. I mean, look at that second tender behind you. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to put on some weight.”

“Oh please, if I wanted to put on as much weight as you, I’d get six tenders instead, old-timer.”

“You aren’t exactly a spring chicken yourself, now are you, Scottie?”

The two engines stared at each other for a few more seconds, silence tensioning the atmosphere, only for them to immediately burst into fits of laughter.

“Oh, I missed the banter we used to get into, Scottie. What’s it like being preserved?”

“Oh, not too bad. I'm going to tour in America in a few years.”

“America, you say? Very interesting. You best show them why us Gresley locomotives are so revered in Britain.”

“Oh, I most certainly plan on doing that.”

“Good. Say, the venue is even grander than what you described. Were you holding out on me, Scottie?”

“Ah. That, I did not, Gord. You see-”

“Hey there. Are you those famous Railway Series engines?”

Gordon, too lost in his conversation with the Flying Scotsman, was understandably startled, and gave a very high-pitched shriek. He Immediately tried to brush it off by directing the engines’ attention to where the voice came from, tracing the origin to a little shunter: a 0-4-0ST Caledonian Railway 264 Class steam locomotive, painted red with no stripes. His paintwork was relatively normal, but the massive nameplates that read “Desmond” covering its saddle tanks, the smaller number plates reading “7” attached to his cabs’ sides, and a massive pair of massive aviator sunglasses he wore more than made up for the lack of eccentricity. Oddest of all was his voice, which was far deeper than his size let on.

“Yes… we are.”, Edward tentatively replied.

Desmond immediately responded.

“Oh, sorry if I creeped you out. Nice to meet you. I’m Desmond, a competing shunter, but for now, I’m to help sort out last-minute refinements to the festivities. If any of you need rest, sheds are over there,”

He gestured over at a massive structure, bigger than any shed the engines have ever seen.

“coal bunkers and water towers are right next to it, you drop off your passengers at the next station down the line, and right before it are some sidings where I’m to shunt your train into for the time being. Any questions?”

“Actually, yes.”

Out stepped the Fat Controller, still wearing his suit.

“Could you park the two front coaches somewhere else? They’re old support coaches converted into a home on wheels, and my family currently takes up residence in them.”

Desmond, after giving some thought, replied.

“My driver will have to ask the organizers, but I think they can manage something. Now, I’ve to arrange your train, and Scotsman’s too.”

With that, Desmond departed to the station platform, the other engines following suit.

“Oh, by the way, Gordon?”

“Hm?”

“Next time, try to remember to remind us of anything important in your letters, especially ones that describe these sorts of events to take place months in advance.”

All Gordon could reply with was a meekly “Yes, sir.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course, that would soon be forgotten, as Gordon and Scotsman were having the time of their lives together, chatting about speed records, rebuilds, and the like, reminiscing on simpler times, when steam was still Britain’s rail traction king and things seemed to make sense. Of course, the constant prattling wore down on many of the others, who promptly told them to shut up, but they didn’t care, they were just glad to be able to see each other again. Eventually, this got the others to have their own conversations, where they regaled everyone else with their own adventures.

“From then on, I donned the paintwork you see before you today, to honour the tiger who helped me to save that engine and his passengers.”, regaled Yong Bao, a China Railway CM.

“That’s nice, but it seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it?”, remarked Amelia, a GWR 2800.

“Oh, like that ‘Super Rescue’ of yours is any more likely, Amy.”, retorted King George V, a GWR 6000 “King” class.

“Alright, settle down, children.”, a Ferrovie Nord Milano 200 named Gina cut in. “Don’t focus on such trivial matters this late in the day. Besides, we have guests with us.”

She directed everyone’s attention to the Sudrian engines gathered before them; all were surprisingly flustered by everyone’s gaze being directed at them, except for Gordon, still talking and rambling on with the Flying Scotsman.

“So, eeerrr… Mr.... Edward, was it?”, asked Rajiv, a standard gauge variant of the “Fairy Queen”.

“Yes, that is my name.”

“Well, let me just say it is an honour to be in the presence of engines as famous as you.”

“Oh, but it’s an honour to meet you all as well. You lot have been on quite the adventures, from what I can gather.”

“Ah, but they’re nothing compared to the ones you guys went on. Like getting dragged behind an express passenger train.”, replied Axel, an NMBS/SNCB Type 12.

“My wheels didn’t feel so good after that.”, meekly added Thomas.

“crashing into a ditch,”

“James and Henry wouldn’t stop laughing at Gordon for days.”, commented Percy.

“Using boot laces to haul-”

“Ok, ok. We get it. We’ve had quite the mess-ups over our working careers.”

“Ah, but you didn’t let us finish. We also know of your triumphs as well.”, added Gina.

“Earning your own branch line after rescuing one of your own colleagues.”, a standard gauge variant of the NMR X named Ashima noted.

“Putting pompous mainline engines back in their place.”, commented a China Railways GJ named Hong Mei, who looked eerily similar to Rosie.

“OI!”, yelled Gordon, Henry, and James, about to make a retort, only to be cut off by the China Railway CM from before.

“Most of all, bringing out the public’s love for steam. Hong Mei was slated for scrap until school children who heard your stories saved her from such a fate. Now, she and I run a heritage line.”

Ashima stepped in next.

“Rajiv and I were built standard gauge by mistake. Laying down rails so two of hundreds of engines could run wasn’t seen as worth it to many, so we ended up in a scrapyard.”

“I still feel the sensation of metal rusting away in the cold air.”, shuddered Rajiv.

“Point is, without the books, we don’t know where we could have ended up.”, Shane, a standard gauge South Australian Railway 520 ended.

The engines were all stunned. Sure, they knew the books were renowned, but not to the extent they heard of today. None of them knew what to say. Then, Edward spoke up.

“Well, on behalf of us Sudrians, knowing our adventures helped with steam preservation efforts most certainly warms our boilers, and engines in the case of our dear friend Boco here.”

“Hello.”, the diesel added kindly.

“But, we’re only engines. Many have been saved because of our stories, but many have also been saved without our stories as well; Flying Scotsman and Evening Star here are prime examples of the concept.”

The two engines gave a friendly hello, Flying Scotsman going back to conversing with Gordon.

“What are you saying?”, inquired 

“I’m saying that we played a part, but steam’s preservation never relied on our stories; a desire for its survival was there, but we brought it out further with the books. Maybe, even if we weren’t around, those here today would still be preserved. That being said, those are just my thoughts on the matter.”

Silence filled the roundhouse. The Sudrians thought about the impact their stories might have really had on the outside world and steam preservation efforts, while the rest stuck with pondering Edward’s words. Eventually, after all coming to a conclusion of their own, they sat in their berths in silence, hoping for someone to break it. It persisted, until Rajiv, tired of waiting for an engine to speak up, did so himself.

“So, do any of you have stories that the Thin Clergyman never published?”

“Oh, we do. You want to hear some of them?”, replied Henry.

“Oh, yes please.”, said most of the other engines in response.

Thomas and his friends then regaled the others with stories never published, ones to be saved for later. Until next time, my dear readers.


End file.
